Since being released in the game with the launch of Operation Red Craw, Hibana has been through ups and downs. Fortunately, she's in a good spot now and coexists with Thermite, Ace, Maverick, and the portable Hard Breaching Charges.
This is everything you need to know about Yumiko "Hibana" Imagawa.
Read more: Rainbow Six Siege Operator Tier List: Attackers
Hibana's Biography
While we don't know much about Hibana's childhood, it's a fact that she practiced Kyūdō from an early age. Through Kyūdō, Hibana evolved qualities that she would, later on, use on the battlefield. According to Ubisoft's background, she "possesses the ability to assess multiple factors simultaneously while executing precise, controlled, and fluid motions."
Hibana would train with various CTUs around the world, including the SAS, FBI SWAT, and GIGN, which can also be seen in action in Rainbow Six Siege.
According to Ubisoft, Hibana's nickname comes from her time at the National Police Academy "due to her improvised explosive devices." Her abilities on the battlefield combined with her being able to speak fluently various languages opened the door to join the Aichi Prefectural Police Department Special Assault Team.
Overall, Imagawa "is an expert in paramilitary techniques and infiltration of high-risk areas, demonstrating brilliant leadership skills in the field."
Hibana's loadout
Primary: TYPE-89 Assault Rifle / SUPERNOVA Shotgun
Secondary: P229 Handgun / Bearing 9 Machine Gun
Gadget: Stun Grenades x3 / Breach Charge x3
Hibana's mains usually have the same loadout: TYPE-89 as primary, Bearing 9 as secondary, and stuns to wrap it up. You might want to change the secondary though, as the Bearing's recoil is a bit difficult to manage.
Regarding the gadget, it depends on the site you think you will be attacking. For example, if you are playing on Clubhouse, you might want flashes to attack CCTV, and breach charges to attack the basement. Pick depending on your team's strategy, although the stuns are always a safe bet.
What's Hibana's best loadout?
We think that Hibana's best loadout includes the TYPE-89 Assault Rifle, the Bearing 9 Machine Gun, and the Stun Grenades. However, as we said before, you may want to change the Stun Grenades for Breach Charges if you want to get stronger at vertical plays.
Hibana's role in Rainbow Six Siege
Hibana is a hard breacher, so her main goal is to open reinforced walls and hatches.
She is also an operator used to clear defender utility, such as Jäger's ADSs or Wamai's magnetos. She throws her three flashes in order to do that. If she has breaching charges, she can be used as a soft breacher, opening non-reinforced walls and the defender's ceiling.
Despite the TYPE-89 just having 20+1 bullets per magazine, having the Bearing 9 makes Hibana a good operator at getting some good frags. She is a really strong operator, especially at close gunfights.
Considering she is a hard breacher and has important utility and a good weapon set, losing her early in a round might be lethal for attackers.
How to use Hibana's gadget in Rainbow Six Siege
Hibana's gadget is called the X-KAIROS. Her gadget throws up to six pellets that stick on the walls and explode. The whole will be bigger depending on the number of pellets thrown at a wall.
Arguably Hibana's versatility got improved when Ubisoft tweaked her gadget, allowing her to alternate the number of X-KAIROS thrown at a time. She can now throw two, four, or six. In the past, she could only throw six.
Since she has 18 pellets, she just can fully open one wall (Thermite can open two). However, her versatility with the X-KAIROS makes her the perfect operator to open hatches -- four X-KAIROS needed to open a reinforced hatch, just two when it's soft.
Read more: What is a hard breacher in Rainbow Six Siege?
This means on takes like Clubhouse's basement, where there are three hatches (Bar, Kitchen, Jackets), or on Bank's basement (two hatches), Hibana can be really useful. The X-KAIROS versatility can also be used to open small angles in reinforced walls to see through different reinforced walls.
You can always use only 8 to 12 X-KAIROS to open a wall to walk through while crouching, but that can leave you in a bad spot as you won't be able to run and, sometimes, you will have to vault in.
Hibana can also use her X-KAIROS to destroy Azami's Kiba Barriers. The Japanese operator only needs two X-KAIROS to destroy the defender's gadget.
Best counters to Hibana
As she's a hard breacher, operators that electrify reinforced walls (Kaid, Bandit) or that jam walls (Mute) are Hibana's main counters. Maestro can also be a very good counter, as his cameras can shoot Hibanas' pellets.
There are other uncommon tricks to deny Hibana's pellets. We have the Thorn Trick, which is mainly used in Clubhouse's Kitchen hatch. By deploying Thorn's gadget there, she won't spot it unless she drones the place first carefully. If she throws the X-KAIROS and gets close enough to trigger the defender gadget, the gadget will get rid of the pellets.
Hibana's charges can also be destroyed with impacts and C4s, with players figuring out many ways to do so. You often see these kinds of holes next to some hatches or over reinforced walls, so defenders can throw impacts just before the charges explode. These do not only affect Hibana's charges but any other kind of charge used.
Is Hibana in Rainbow Six Mobile?
Yes, Hibana is a playable character in Rainbow Six Mobile. Players can use the Japanese operator on Rainbow Six Mobile, whose ability is exactly the same as the one she has in Rainbow Six Siege.
Hibana is not the only hard breaching operator in Rainbow Six Mobile, as players can also use Thermite.
Best Hibana skins in Rainbow Six Siege
Due to Hibana's popularity in the game, she has some really good skins. Out of all of the skins she has, we have chosen three.
Hibana's eternity bundle was designed by Ikumi Nakamura. The bundle currently costs 1680 R6 Credits, including a weapon skin for the TYPE-89, a headgear, a uniform, and a charm.
Hibana's Elite bundle, Onkochishin, is possibly one of the best in the game. Her victory celebration is a reference to her Kyūdō background. She looks astonishing and deadly.
DWG KIA's only skin on Rainbow Six Siege is equipped on the TYPE-89 and includes the org name plus the org's logo.